Sonic Adventures: The Gathering Storm
by DarkNoise
Summary: After his supposed death, Doctor Eggman returns to wreck havoc. But something about him has changed, and who are his mysterious new cohorts, Swift and Fang. It's up to Sonic and his friends to get to the bottom of it all and stop Eggman once again!
1. Prologue

**Sonic Adventures**

**The Gathering Storm**

**Disclaimer**

_Sonic The Hedgehog_ and all characters related are the intellectual property and copyright ©1991-2009 SEGA-SAMMY Enterprises.

_Mina The Mongoose_ and all related characters are the intellectual property and copyright ©2003-2009 Archie Comics.

_Swift, Fang_ and all other related characters are the intellectual property and copyright ©2001-2009 Cleardream™.

* * *

**Prologue**

"Damn you, hedgehog!" He bellowed out in anger amongst the flames and black smoke that plumbed out into the ever diminishing light of the evening sky. Hatred burned deep down in his soul, gnawing away at him like some starving beast chewing on his bones. For years he'd respected him, looked up to him, even though he had always been the enemy, but he had always maintained some form of civility with him. _Him._ The thought came back to him. _Yes, him! That hedgehog. The one whose always getting in my way, always foiling my plans._

Indeed, his plans had failed him again. Driven out of his domain, his base laid to waste just as things had been time and time again. But this time something had been different. Rather than let him get away the hedgehog pursued him. Pursued him to the end, like he was on a hunt, all respect had been thrown aside and he had chased him. Now here he was. His hands had grown numb from clinging to the stone beneath his figures, trying desperately to hand on as the weight of his oversized body threatened to drag him down into the depths of the ravine he now hung over. His vehicle lay on the ground in a hundred pieces around him, set alight, the smoke choking his lungs and blacking his vision. Yet, for a moment, he saw him. The hedgehog. Peering through the blackened smoke as the wreckage continued to burn, hesitating, unable to decide weather it was safe to cross through.

"Sonic!" He cried out as he felt his grip loosening and his body beginning to pull him down further. He couldn't hold on much longer. He knew if he didn't get help soon it would be the end for him. "Eggman!" The hedgehog called back, his usually blue fur glowing and eerie ember in the flames light. "Hold on! I'll pull you up!" Sonic looked around trying to find a way through the burning wreckage that blocked his path, the edge of the ravine just feet away from him. He could see the old doctor hanging on for his life, slipping further and further as fatigue began to catch up to him. There wasn't much time left. He saw Eggman's grip suddenly relinquish as he dived for him. For the first time in the hedgehog's young life, time came to a stand still for him as he made a reach for the doctors hand. But it wasn't enough. In his desperate attempt to save him, Sonic only managed to grab the doctors sleeve. The strong jacket held and he thought he had a few seconds to at least compose himself, prepare, and pull the doctor up to safety. But he was wrong.

As Sonic breathed in once, ready to try and grasp the doctors hands, they both heard the sound they dreaded the most at this very moment. The sound of imminent failure. The sound of death. It was the sound of thread beginning to rip. The sleeve was tearing away under the doctors own weight. The battle to save his life was already lost. Sonic looked towards him in panic as he watched events unfold before him. "This is all your fault!" Eggman bitterly spoke up. "This would never have happened if it wasn't for you, Sonic The Hedgehog. Remember that!" With those final words, the sleeve came away from Doctor Eggman's red jacket and he fell. Fell into the dark depths of the ravine, never to be heard from again.

Sonic lay there, looking over the edge, staring into the abyss. Shock took hold of him as he found himself unable to pull himself away. He was gone. Eggman was gone. "It's all my fault..." Sonic spoke to himself quietly, trying to grasp what had just happened. "Eggman... EGGMAN!" He cried out, his guilt ridden cry echoing across the lands around as the evening ended and the darkness of night set in.


	2. Chapter 1: One Calm Day

**Sonic Adventures**

**The Gathering Storm**

**Disclaimer**

_Sonic The Hedgehog_ and all characters related are the intellectual property and copyright ©1991-2009 SEGA-SAMMY Enterprises.

_Mina The Mongoose_ and all related characters are the intellectual property and copyright ©2003-2009 Archie Comics.

_Swift, Fang_ and all other related characters are the intellectual property and copyright ©2001-2009 Cleardream™.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**One Calm Day**

"Sigh", she breathed out as she leaned out of her bedroom window, her head propped up lazily on her hand as she gazed at the clear sky above. A perfect cloudless summer day, just the vast blue void stretching to the horizon and beyond. Her golden yellow fur practically glowed in the sunlight along with her shining lavender hair as it gently blew in the warm breeze. Her bright emerald green eyes looked out from under her heavy eyelids with boredom.

It had been another long summer day just like the day before, and every other day before. It never seemed to end, it was the same thing everyday. Wake up mid morning, have a long hot shower, have breakfast and spend the rest of the day bored as she tried to find something to do, and today was no different. All she had for entertainment was to sing to herself or watch the world go by.

"Mina!" Her mom called up the stairs from the kitchen where she stood making sandwiches. "Lunch is ready!" Mina gave another small sigh as she brushed a stray band of lavender hair out of her eye's. "Be there in a minute mom!" She called back. She took one last look out of the window. "Their putting up the decorations for tomorrow." She mumbled to herself as she saw the folk in the town center, hard at work preparing for the celebrations.

It was to be the fifth anniversary of Emerald Town's liberation from Doctor Eggman's first attempt at creating a dictatorship. His attempt to capture and enslave the town had been somewhat a success. For six months the mad doctor had taken over the area of Green Hill and the other surrounding areas turning the once lush, green, fields, villages, and towns in to industrial monstrosities to feed his empire. Capturing innocent civilians and imprisoning them withing his metal creations, his servants, his solders. Their lives being exploited as ever lasting power sources. This all changed thanks to Sonic.

It was on that day, five years ago, that Sonic the Hedgehog arrived in Green Hill, saw the devastation around him, the pollution, the metal monsters with his friends trapped inside. It was on that day, that Sonic began to become the hero he was today, for it was on that day that, as quickly as he had arrived, unraveled Doctor Eggman's plans and drove him out. It was on that day he liberated Emerald Town and the rest of Green Hill from the mad scientist.

Now here they were, five years on preparing to celebrate their freedom the following day. The mayor had asked Sonic to join them for the celebrations, to address the town at the mayors speech. But he had declined. Even though he was a hero to these people and, more importantly, the world, he had never been fond of publicity. He liked the odd bit of attention, yes, but he didn't like to revel in it. Yet, still, there was something not quite right about the hedgehog when he had turned down the invitation. Mina had been with him at the time, and even then she noticed there was something missing, but then again she had noticed something missing from him for the past six months, ever since his last encounter with the now presumed dead Doctor Eggman.

She believed it was his spark, his enthusiasm, his lust for adventure, it was all gone. Ever since that day he had lost everything that drove him. It was like he didn't want to continue being a hero, or maybe he didn't see himself as one anymore. Not once in the years he'd spent protecting people, towns, countries, the world, had he taken someones life. Not until that day Eggman died in the ravine. When he died, Sonic died inside.

It was back then when Sonic came to Mina. They had been friends as far as anyone could remember, they trusted each other, cared for each other. Mina hadn't expected to see him that night, Sonic just arrived out of no where, needing a place the stay for the night. Mina could never turn her friends away and she agreed, but that one night turned in to a few days, then a few weeks, and now six months. He hadn't wanted to move on. Despite the spark that had been lost within him, he was quite content staying where he was. Mina had no complaints, she loved to have him around, someone to spend time with, someone to talk to, someone the lend a shoulder to cry on. But even she knew he would have to move on eventually. He needed to move on, find himself again, regain that spark, and while she wanted him to stay she knew it would only make things worse for him.

She sat at the table in her kitchen pondering all this, even now, as she ate her lunch, the breadcrumbs falling neatly on her plate. Mina had always been a polite, tidy, mild mannered child growing up, easy to get along with, and had been blessed with stunning natural beauty that had always turned guy's heads as she walked past. She finished off her plate and rinsed it in the sink before leaving it with the rest of the dishes for washing later on. She went out on to the garden, listening to the quiet all around, and eventually laid back in the grass. Her clothes pulled tight over her curvaceous body as she stretched out on the lush green lawn and placed her hands behind her head, staring up into the vast blue above.

_Maybe seeing his friends will help get that spark back in Sonic._ She thought to herself as she planned out the next day. Sonic's friends, Tails and Amy, were flying out to meet him tomorrow for the town's anniversary party. It had been a long time since he'd last seen them, and Mina was uncertain how he would react to the little reunion.

-

The wind rushed by, sight and sound a complete blur to him as he raced along at such high speeds. The ground became a mixture of various colors as the scenery sped past. The blood pumped through his body, the adrenalin racing, it was all this that made running such a joy for him. Eventually everything came to a stop. The wind died and the scenery steadied before him. The edge of a cliff and a clear view green fields spread out across the horizon. That is what he loved about Green Hill. The wide open space, the green fields, the vibrant colors, and the fresh breeze the blew across them. The sound of bushes rustling and water falling from the water falls all added to the magic of it all for him. It was one of the few things he had left that he held onto deep inside his heart. One of the few things that gave him any joy anymore.

Sonic the Hedgehog stood upon the edge of the cliff, looking out and surveying all that laid before him with his green eyes, the wind blowing through his blue fur and his long streamlined quills moving with it. He tapped his feet and shuffled a bit in an attempt to shake off the loose dust and dirt from his red sneakers, with their single white strap across them and secured with a shining gold buckle. He tugged on his gloves to make sure they where on nice and secure as his thoughts looked towards the day to come. _Tails and Amy._ He thought to himself. _I haven't seen them since that night Eggman died. How will I face them tomorrow knowing I killed someone?_

He decided to shake those thoughts out of his head for now and take it easy as he always did. Jumping down the cliff with the warm breeze rushing past him, the sensation of free fall sending thrills down his spine. He landed with all the grace of a cat and sprang to his feet at super sonic speeds, speeding across the fields once again.


End file.
